Biotechnology for Zero Waste – Emerging Waste Management Techniques (Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain (editor) etc.)

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Reaping of Bio-Energy from Waste Using Microbial Fuel Cell

Technology

Senthilkumar Kandasamy¹, Naveenkumar Manickam¹, and Samraj Sadhappa²

1Kongu Engineering College, Department of Chemical Engineering, Erode 638060, Tamil Nadu, India

2MVJ College of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, 560067, Bangalore, India

19.1

Introduction

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a bio-electrochemical system that involves conversion

of chemical energy into electrical energy with the help of useful microbes. MFC is

not highly efficient with respect to electricity generation. According to M.C. Pot-

ter, microbes convert the available chemical energy into electrical energy such as

power and current [1]. In 1960, MFC became popular from the waste of anthropo-

morphic. During 1970s, microorganisms were used as catalysts to treat wastewa-

ter in fuel cells and MFCs, and these were examined in 1991. On the other hand,

enhanced electricity production was providing chance for their commercialization

and implementation. Complex substrates and different carbon sources expounded

in wastewater were directly converted into electricity in a sustainable power genera-

tion technology (MFC) [2]. The components of MFC include electrodes (anode and

cathode), membrane (proton exchange membrane [PEM]), microorganisms, energy

recording meter, and electrolyte. The Chief components of MFC such as membrane,

electrode, and microorganism can considerably influence the cost and performance

of MFC [3].

A good numbers of publications regarding MFC are elevating rapidly by virtue

of the drawbacks of conventional wastewater treatment and energy production.

In the extinct years, MFC had a new source of bio-energy production. It has been

widely reviewed in different aspects. They are configurations and designs, microbial

communities, electrode materials, electrode surface area changes, potential and real

field environmental relevance [4]. MFC is widely used for wastewater treatment

and energy production, because the system has more advantages than existing

technology. The first merit of MFC is its ability to directly convert substrate into

electricity that enables high conversion efficiency. Second, it can exhibit safe and

reasonable good performance. Third, it does not require any gas treatment and

free from CO2 generation. Fourth, it operates efficiently in ambient temperature,

and it is insensitive to the operational environment. Finally, MFC has the potential

Biotechnology for Zero Waste: Emerging Waste Management Techniques, First Edition.

Edited by Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain and Ravi Kumar Kadeppagari.